The Startup Haven ‘Vouch’ recruiting program allows member companies to find and hire high-quality candidates who understand what it means to work at a startup and at a cost far below market rates.  The program strives to be transparent in all respects and to seek only the best fit between job candidates and Startup Haven member companies.

How it Works for Members Who Hire:

  • Only Startup Haven members’ companies are allowed to recruit from the Vouch program candidate pool.
  • Startup Haven members and partners submit high-quality candidates that they will personally vouch for.
  • Startup Haven member companies who have signed up for the program will receive notifications when new candidates are submitted.
  • After reviewing a candidate’s resume and other information, the Startup Haven member company may request a direct introduction to the candidate.
  • Startup Haven notifies the candidate of the introduction request. If the candidate accepts the request then Startup Haven will make a direct email introduction between the candidate and the company.
  • If the company hires a candidate then they pay Startup Haven a below-market fee based on the candidate’s year-one compensation and the higher of the total amount of funding raised or the annual revenue generated by the company.
  • Here is the fee structure, i.e., funding or revenue, whichever is higher.
    • $0 – $250k => 3%
    • $250k – $500k => 6%
    • $500k – $1M => 9%
    • $1M – $2M = >12%
    • $2M+ => 15%
  • On a case by case basis, Startup Haven may agree to accept equity warrants in lieu of a portion of the service fee.
  • Service fees are due within 10 days after the candidate’s start date and Startup Haven provides a 60-day, full refund guarantee for all candidates.
  • To opt into the program, simply login to the Vouch system using the email address you use for Startup Haven newsletter and event invitations.

How it Works for Members Who Vouch:

  • All Startup Haven recruiting program candidates must be personally vouched for by the Startup Haven member or partner submitting the candidate. See below for more on what it means to “vouch” for a candidate.
  • Once you vouch for a candidate, Startup Haven notifies the candidate. If the candidate accepts the vouch and opts into the Vouch program, then we ask the candidate to provide a resume and other useful personal information to help companies understand if the candidate might be a fit.
  • We notify the candidate when a company expresses interest. If a candidate agrees to accept an introduction, then Startup Haven makes a direct email introduction between the candidate and the company.
  • To vouch for a candidate, simply login to the Vouch system using the email address you use for Startup Haven’s newsletter and event invitations.
  • When a Startup Haven member vouches for a candidate, that member receives 15% of the fees that Startup Haven receives.

Pro Rata Pooling for 2019:

  • Through 2019, candidates will be tracked by weekly cohorts based on the date that the candidate becomes available for hire. When a candidate is hired through the Vouch program, all of the members who also vouched for candidates in the cohort will receive a pro-rata share of fees — even if their candidate was not hired. The full details of the Pro Rata program can be found here.

What it Means to Vouch for a Candidate:

All candidates submitted to the Startup Haven recruiting program must be personally vouched for by a Startup Haven member or partner. Vouching means giving your informed, considered and personal recommendation and signifies that you would be willing to hire the candidate yourself, without hesitation, into an appropriate role. You’re not guaranteeing that the candidate will be a good fit for any particular position or company; you are only affirming that, based on your personal experience with the candidate, s/he is worthy of strong consideration.

  • “Informed” means that you have direct, relevant and professional experience with the candidate. In order to sufficiently vouch for a candidate, one of the following should be true:
    • You have worked directly with candidate.
    • You have thoroughly interviewed the candidate and vetted the candidate’s work history and references.
  • “Considered” means that you believe the candidate understands and could thrive in a startup environment, i.e., you believe the candidate to be:
    • Exceptionally effective at their core skills, given their experience level.
    • Excited about the prospect of working at a startup, including the potential for hard parts, i.e., ambiguity, risk and commitment to contributing to culture.
    • Possessing traits you consider conducive to working in a startup environment, e.g., resourceful, creative, team player, good communicator, “get it done” attitude, capable of self direction, etc.
  • “Personal” means that you are confident enough in your recommendation that you agree to be considered a reference for the candidate, including possibly accepting a reference call from the hiring company to share your experiences with the candidate.

If a candidate that you vouched for gets hired then you receive a percentage of the service fee that Startup Haven receives. You may choose between 15% of the service fee in cash or a 30% discount applied to the service fee if you recruit a candidate through the Startup Haven recruiting program.